A known solution to producing a uniform magnetic environment in connection with MRAM devices includes placing dummy magnetic cells at the perimeter of the memory array; however, the non-active dummy magnetic cells increase the overall MRAM cell dimensions, which wastes valuable MRAM cell space and is not suitable for embedded MRAM cell technology. Another known solution includes a standard via dummy fill solution, wherein dummy fill is generated within the common (overlapping) regions of top and below metal dummy regions. However, this solution does not meet the metal tunnel junction (MTJ) density requirement for MRAM design, especially inside the near-active-MRAM-cell (MRAM cell plus 10 micrometer (μm)) periphery logic regions.
A need therefore exists for methodology enabling a MRAM cell layout that meets MTJ density requirements for embedded MRAM cell technology without increasing the overall MRAM cell dimensions and the resulting device.